


Out of Time's Hands

by Katreal



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-15 00:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5764417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katreal/pseuds/Katreal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kafei noticed the fairy in the Laundry Pool. The Schedule became useless after that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hear My Plea!

The Postbox snapped shut with a chink, and with it went Kafei’s heart. His hand was trembling as he stood there, staring at the cheerful red machine and the bright Terminian letters that proclaimed the collection times. He was doing this. Really doing this.

He couldn’t stay here. He needed to get back to the curiosity shop. His fingers touched the cool painted wood of his mask. It was a flimsy disguise, and he knew it. As the mayor’s son _everyone_ in town knew him. Impossibility would only go so far. He _couldn’t_ let Anju see him like this. Not until he managed to recover the Sun’s Mask.

He’d poured his heart and soul into crafting that mask. He’d promised himself that the next time he saw her, he would hand it to her. He couldn’t break that promise now.

Taking a deep breath, Kafei spun away from the postbox, running with all the speed that his short— _too small this wasn’t right why was everything so big—_ legs could muster. He almost tripped, misjudging the distance of the stairs, but he caught himself against the stone wall with an outstretched hand, swearing silently at both his treacherous body and the pain radiating from fresh scrapes. He wouldn’t let it ruin things. He _couldn’t._

He forced himself forward, chanting the mantra that had sustained him since he’d woken up like this, one month ago. _Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it._ That imp and the impossible magic and the moon—he couldn’t do anything about it. It wasn’t worth the panic he could feel building outside his wall of focus. The thief and the Sun’s Mask… _that_ was what he needed to think about now.

The transition from the bustle and constant construction noises of South Clock Town to the much quieter laundry pool took a weight off his chest. He slowed a little, a brisk walk rather than the flat run as he followed the dirt path toward the bridge. A frog croaked loudly nearby, shattering the peaceful burble of the water. Kafei glanced nervously behind him, just in case. Nothing. The small blue amphibian peered up from him from the tall grass beneath the tree. Huge grey eyes blinked. Then it croaked again.

Kafei shook his head. Damn, he was being paranoid. He took a breath, and then stepped onto the stone bridge. Soon he’d be safe. He’d just need to wait until the man with the grinning face struck again. Everything stolen in town ended up in the Curiosity Shop.

Halfway across the bridge, something caught his eye. A faint trick of the light maybe, playing along the water.

_…help me…_

And then it was gone. Kafei shook his head. He was just hearing things…right?

_…please…_

Again. He stopped, fumbling for the keys to the door leading to the curiosity shop’s back room. There it was again. From behind him, towards the pool. He squinted through the slits of his mask. The frog was still his only companion, and the distant croaks were nothing like the small…

_…help me…_

A tiny, whisper, carried on the wind. Kafei removed his hand from the door, taking a step toward the pool’s edge. It was coming from the water. He was sure of it. A few more steps—there wasn’t anyone here, and the shop wasn’t open until night anyway—soon had Kafei at the center of the bridge, looking out over the shallow laundry pool. He didn’t _think_ he was going crazy. He’d definitely heard something.

_…please…_

He was _right._ It had been louder here. As if he could just…

Reach out…

His foot slid off the edge of the bridge—when had he gotten so close?!—and he went tumbling into the air. The water rushing up to meet him—

And…he hit something, before the water surrounded him in a loud chaotic splash. Something small and light and _warm_ that sent tingles of power running along his skin. It shattered and danced around him, motes of faint yellow light that had nearly melted into the morning sun.

The words echoed, not in his water clogged ears, but in his _mind._ Filling his every cell with thrumming gratitude, jubilation at being heard, and worry for what needed to be done.

_Please, hear my plea! Please find a way to return me to the Fairy Fountain! I beg of you!_

A fairy. An honest to god fairy. Kafei lost the breath he was holding in a rush of air. His lungs burning as his short legs touched against the stone bottom of the pool and he kicked himself upward again, breaking the surface of the water. Bobbing there. Stunned.

He quickly swam to the exit, pulling himself out of the water and onto the patch of grass and bushes under the tree. The frog hopped over to peer down at him as Kafei rolled onto his back, for once uncaring as he pulled off his mask to gasp in huge gulps of air to ease his burning lungs. His head was swimming from the impact—had he imagined the whole thing?

But no, the fairy was a quiet warm hum in his heart, pulsing with each beat. He’d used healing fairies before. They were a rush of warm magic, flooding the body and healing wounds. Then they flew off, back to their fountains. Their work done. This was…

_You who hear my cries. Please help me._

The magic pulsed again, in time with the words. Kafei sighed.

He couldn’t go out there. Not now. Not with his letter soon to be within Anju’s hands. He didn’t think she’d abandon her duties at the Inn to go look for him—she was too dutiful for that—but if word of sightings got out she just might. No. Better to wait.

“After nightfall.” He whispered to that buzzing light, pushing himself off the grass and startling the frog away. It gave him a dirty look before vanishing into the water. It was a promise.


	2. Fetters of Fate

Even though he promised, it was hard for Kafei to tear himself away from the Curiosity Shop that night.

He needed to wait until dark, when he’d just be a shadowed child on the streets rather than a blaring impossibility. Even with his mask hiding his distinctive red eyes, he had his father’s hair. Only the mayor’s son had that distinct shade, and everyone knew it. Kafei had bet on the hustle and bustle of the festival preparations to hide his excursion to the postbox.

But if he waited until dark, the Curiosity Shop would be open. If it was open…there was a chance _he_ would be there.

The warmth in his chest buzzed disapprovingly at him. The same sense of urgency flooding him. Kafei winced and glanced at the clock, slowly ticking closer to 9 pm. Curio raised an eyebrow at the movement, the man seated at the small table and eating his dinner before opening time. This was his back room, after all. Kafei was just borrowing it. “I doubt he’d be here tonight, Kaf.”

Kafei snapped his head back to the old man, feeling the heat rising in his face. He’d read his mind. Or at least the part of his mind that wasn’t arguing with a bloody fairy anyway. “He _could.”_

Curio shook his head, “Not if I know my clients. Nothing’s been stolen. Thieves need goods to fence.”

“He could have stolen something from out of town!”

Curio scratched his head for a moment, considering the possibility, before shaking his head, “Nah. Common sense Kaf. The town’s preppin’ for a huge festival. Tourists and vendors are all comin’ in to town. He’d be a fool to not be waiting for a juicy shipment. We’ll see ‘im before the festival, I promise you. Just be patient.”

“How can I be patient when I’m like this!?” The words tore out of him. Kafei regretted them immediately. He bit his lip, and turned away, not wanting to see Curio’s pitying look. He’d been about to get married to the love of his life. _Finally_ leave his parent’s home. Become an adult in his own right. He’d been waiting for this for almost 17 years.

And…it had been torn away from him. Just like that. A night of drinking with his friends to celebrate his wedding…

_Don’t think about it._

The wooden legs of the stool scraped across the stone floor. It wasn’t long before Curios’s thin hand settled on his shoulder, “There’s nothin’ I can do about that. I _can_ promise we’ll find him though—I put a premium price on new goods because of the festival.”

Kafei shook his head, frustrated. “I hope so. You’ve been saying that all month.”

_Please…_

The whisper again. The warmth had crept into a tight corner of his heart, making itself small in the wake of his irritation.

… _fine._

Kafei sighed. _You win._

“I need to go out for a bit. Are you _sure_ it won’t be tonight?”

Curio arched an eyebrow. Kafei glowered at him. Not that it looked very fierce. He barely came up to the older man’s waist at this point.

“Positive, Kaf.”

He’d just have to trust him at this point. Kafei’s shoulders slumped, the tension bleeding out of them as he reached over to the table and snagged his mask out of habit. The warm presence blossomed, bits of joy and appreciation filtering through his mind now that he’d made his decision.

The route to North Clock Town was quick. The masked boy cut through the empty festival square—once so lively with the construction of the festival tower and booths, now deserted once darkness had fallen over the world. A dog yipped, trotting at his heels for a time. Kafei ignored it. He was on edge enough as it was.

He’d been to the Great Fairy’s Fountain before. A month ago. He didn’t remember it well. The rough cobblestone road beneath him. A shadow above him. A grinning face, exclaiming over how a _child_ managed to get a hold of such a quality mask…

Kafei grit his teeth, quickening his pace.

North Clock Town was deserted. A lone guard stood at the gate in the flickering light of the torch. A guard had been there that night too. He’d just watched silently. Didn’t even stop the man with the grinning face as he jaunted out the gate with his ill-gotten goods.

No. The guards wouldn’t help him. He’d decided then—he’d get his mask back himself.

Every resident of Clock Town knew of the fountain. His father had even erected a sign in front of the small hole in the wall, warning townsfolk and tourists alike. To most it was just a place of peace. A place to go and reflect among the calm waters and dancing fairies. The fountain was off the main road a little, up a steep—for his small legs—incline. He sidestepped the deku flower—each step closer to the dark cavity yawning in the town’s stone wall.

And then he was through it, walking down a long, yawning tunnel. Entering this place always felt like entering another world. Neatly laid stone blocks melted into uncarved stone, and then into illusive white marble. It glowed softly at the end, a faint yellow light that excited the buzz waiting impatiently in his chest. It was a pressure—building up and up with each step closer. There’d always been a sense of power around this place, but this was the first time he’d ever felt it so _keenly._

It _exploded_ around him once his shoes touched the gently lapping waters of the fountain, motes of yellow light twirling around him as the warmth left his body, leaving him oddly cold and aching inside. He could _almost_ see it. Almost.

Kafei watched at the patch of yellow mixed with the myriad of others dancing in the fountain. Tiny little fireflies he could barely see. Swarming. Dancing. _Laughing_. _Togetheratlast!_

And then the entire _room_ radiated power, and Kafei suddenly felt _very_ small.

_Thank you, young one of altered form._

Again, not sound, but it reverberated in his bones. It took everything he had not to fall to his knees. If the tiny voice he’d heard before was a fairy, this … _presence_ had to be—

_I am the Great Fairy of Magic, yes. You have returned my broken and shattered body to normal._

“Broken?”

Quiet amusement. _I was careless. I only thought the skull kid meant to help. Instead he turned on me, scattering my fairies to the wind. I was lucky, the mischievous little bombers managed to return most of them. Not that they knew what they were doing, of course. You, my young masked one, brought the last. Such a deed deserves some token of gratitude._

His heart caught in his throat. “Could you—” He couldn’t say it. Instead he indicated himself. This was what he’d meant to seek, that fateful night one month ago.

_I’m sorry…the magic which curses you is not within my power to break._

His hopes shattered. “I see…”

He’d gotten his mask stolen for _nothing_ , if even the Great Fairy couldn’t do anything. The trip that night…would have been wasted. He should have just gone to Anju then. Or home. Or…anything else. Anywhere other than North Clock Town.

A soft touch, like the brush of a butterfly wing, wiped away the tears he hadn’t realized were threatening to fall. Angrily, he scrubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

_Do not despair. All will be as it should, should this world survive the next three days._

Three days.

The festival.

_The moon._

“Will it really fall?” The rumors had been running rampant. Many of the townsfolk had left to seek shelter already. Even with the busy bustle of the construction and merchants, the town was appallingly empty of non-essential personnel.

Silence. His sense of the fairy’s presence dimmed.

_Perhaps. Perhaps not. That future is not mine to see._

_But you…_

_Perhaps. You have already warped the chains in coming here._

_I have decided upon your token, young one._

Kafei frowned. He didn’t _need_ anything, except that which she couldn’t give. The warmth was building again, surrounding him. That same there-but-not-there impression of light seemed to surround him. Building into something—and then sunk into his chest. Humming in his bones, filling the chill, empty ache the fairy’s presence had left behind.

_You who have warped fate’s fetters—with this gift I now free you of them._

Laughter bubbled through his mind. Kafei still didn’t understand what she’d done.

_Perhaps…you’ll even find what you seek._

Nothing changed in the grotto, but somehow he knew she was gone.

_“THIEF! HELP! STOP HIM PLEASE!”_

Kafei barely processed the shout echoing down the hallway before he was running. Heart pounding in his ears. The magic buzzed under his skin, agitated in response to the sudden adrenaline pumping through his system. A Thief. North Clock Town. The middle of the night.

He burst out into the night air. An old lady—Telma from the Bomb Shop—lay in a heap in the road. She’d been the one to yell. That meant—

“ _Hyaaah!”_ The shout caught his attention. A boy in green lunged after the prancing man. Kafei couldn’t see his face from here, but he knew it would be grinning. He scrambled down the hill toward the road as the other kid chased after the thief—slashing at him with a sword even!—weaving through the pillars of the playground on the far side of the district. The sword point managed to nick the blue and white spotted bag, severing the cloth and spilling the contents onto the ground. Brown leather bags from the looks of it, dread sinking in Kafei’s stomach as he realized just what those were. _Bomb bags._ If the sword had nicked one of _those…_ The Dodongo hide bag would blunt the blast, but the kid and the thief could be seriously hurt.

Luckily the thief seemed to realize it wasn’t worth it, and threw the bag back at the boy, the fabric flying into his face and tangling his sword. Something buzzed angrily, and Kafei could almost _swear_ he saw a fluttering yellow light fly away from the man, back to the tangled boy. The thief was running for the gate now. Kafei glanced between him and the boy…and then sprinted to the gate. One heartbeat—he heard the guard shout. Two—he was ducking the outstretched arm. Three—he was in Termina field. The thief was faster. A horse had been waiting outside. The prancing man vaulted onto the beast’s back, kicking it into a gallop with a strangled whistle. Galloping east.

East. Ikana Canyon. Had to be unless he wanted to completely circle the Town to head toward the Bay. Kafei consulted his mental map _._ The swamp would be impassable for the horse.

At least he knew _where_ to look now. Setting his jaw, Kafei began jogging. He’d stick to Clock Town’s walls until he reached East Gate. The guards would try to stop him if he traveled through the town.

It didn't matter what the fairy had done. He was going to find that grinning bastard and take his mask back.


	3. In the Shadow of the Valley

This might not have been the best idea, all things considered.

Kafei crouched in the shade of a large rock, taking refuge from the noon-day sun. It had taken him most of the night to get here—he’d followed the horse’s hoof prints through Termina field, and his suspicions had been confirmed. They vanished in the hard stone ground of Ikana Canyon, and like an idiot, Kafei had run after them.

As the mayor’s son, he’d studied the maps surrounding Clock Town. He’d made a handful of trips to Romani’s Ranch with Anju and the Great Bay—even been part of his father’s diplomatic visits to the Deku Kingdom and the Goron Hall when he’d been younger. With an armed escort.

And here he was, in the body of a 10 year old, braving _Ikana Canyon_ of all places. Hot. Dry. Crawling with monsters ranging from floating skulls and explosive rats. Even entering the canyon had been a trial in and of itself—he could still feel the hot metal biting into his palms as he climbed that stupid gate. He’d known about it—Father had built it after the last of the Ikana Village refugees fled for the safety of Clock Town. Kafei didn’t believe in ghosts. Most likely it was just some sort of monster, like the Cursed Bubbles, but the stories had succeeded in terrifying the townsfolk. At least the fence had quieted the voices demanding the mayor order the entire city guard out to purge the place.

Not that it made his hands feel any better. Kafei tightened his makeshift bandages—he’d needed to rip strips of cloth from his tunic to make those, but he figured some torn clothes was better than the dust getting into the cuts.

He sighed and inched toward the edge of the shadow, peering around the rock he was using as his hideout. There was only one major paths the horse could have taken. Toward the graveyard, but the progress became blocked after that. Kafei was at a loss.

If he ditched the horse, there were plenty of other paths, but at least he could rule out the ruins of the village—the stairs that had once run up the cliff face had splintered and collapsed. It was an impossible climb for a monkey, much less a terminian. Unless he was missing something. It was actually quite likely.

Kafei wasn’t equipped to explore the rest of the canyon on his own. It was bad enough here, sheltered from the heavy rays of the sun, and the eyes of the too curious bombchu that had overtaken the ruined thoroughfare. If he was going to move, he needed to be sure. He needed to _see_ the thief.

If Curio was right, the thief would be heading back into town to try again today. Kafei had waited over a month now for this—he could wait a little longer.

x-x-x

Hoofbeats startled him awake. Kafei shoved his fists into his eyes, as if he could shove the heavy weight away. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He clambered up to the top of the stone outcropping to the sound of rattling bone. Blue flames painted the walls of the canyon in an eerie light, the bubbles startled into an agitated frenzy by the echoing sound. The horse. Hoofbeats.

The _thief._

A shadow in the night, illuminated by the blue flames of the racing bubbles. The trotting horse barely seemed to notice the monsters as they wheeled around it. Even distorted by the light of the bubbles, Kafei could recognize the rider. That silhouette had been burned into his mind for a month now. They were headed for the mouth of the canyon. The horse would jump the gate easily. Kafei had no hopes of pursuing.

But he didn’t need to. The sight was much more than just confirmation that he’d been right. Kafei turned, tracing the horse’s path backwards. Opposite from the graveyard—wasn’t that just a dead end? Kafei frowned, squinting in the darkness. The top of that cliff was where the road to the village continued. How had he…?

Kafei ducked out from behind the stones, dashing across the canyon bottom as fast as he could. Toward the far end. He heard the bubbles rattling behind him, chasing him, but he ignored them. They didn’t matter.

He shivered as one bumped into him, the cold a sudden jolt racing through his limbs, numbing his arm where the flames had brushed him. It didn’t hurt much. Not really. The bombchus were scarier. He’d watched two get into a fight earlier today, struggling and struggling until one got the other’s tail in its teeth. They’d both exploded, shattering a circle of nearby rocks in the process.

The bubble gave up chasing him when he showed no sign of slowing, uninterested in prey that wouldn’t go down to its curse. He placed a hand on the side of the canyon wall, craning his neck up to see if he’d missed anything in the dark. Nothing but sheer rock, cold to the touch and surprisingly smooth. Couldn’t climb the damn thing then, and that didn’t help with the problem of the horse.

He paced along the wall, searching fingers straining for anything different in the rock’s surface. Hidden hand holds. Camouflaged ladder. It _had_ come from this direction, damn it!

He didn’t want to wait for the man to return _again._ He could feel the time slipping through his fingers.

_If the world survives three days…_

The second was gone, ticking closer to the final with each passing hour. The fairy didn’t say whether the moon would fall or not, but if something _was_ going to happen…

He had to get the mask to Anju. He _had_ to.

Kafei grit his teeth, biting back the tide of pure panic threatening to overwhelm him.

_Don’t think about it now._

Thankfully, he wasn’t allowed to dwell on it too long. The support of the wall vanished without warning, leaving Kafei teetering as his arm sank elbow deep _into_ what looked no different from the rest of the canyon. He stumbled forward, the strong smell of horse overpowering his senses—

“Ah. And so our little mouse comes out to play.”

A strong hand on his tunic, yanking him up and away. That damn smiling face.

A second cloth covered hand covered his mouth and nose. Kafei tried to bite it. He couldn’t breath—

_Darkness._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is subject to change. Not sure if I'm feelin' it. I want to continue though so s'good for now!


	4. The End of the World

_There’s no use pretending—I **know** you are awake._

Kafei awoke with a start, heart racing as he jolted upright. _Tick-Tock._ He could barely see the clock in the darkness, its painted wooden face trudging along with each beat. He focused on that sound. Only that sound.

Nightmare. Kafei rubbed his sleep-gummed eyes with his fists, leaning his back against the familiar dim walls of the back room of the curiosity shop. His wrists ached—phantom memories of rope biting into skin, but he didn’t see the red marks his brain insisted should be there.

Kafei was no stranger to nightmares…but that one had been new.

It faded with each waking moment, as Kafei roused himself at last. His head was a little muddied even as he managed to stand on wobbling legs, going through the motions of getting ready for the day. Day.

What day was it?

He couldn’t remember. _Why_ couldn’t he remember?

He’d been religiously counting the days until his wedding even before the shrinkage, it’d become an obsession afterwards. He was painfully aware he had a time limit. Any time he lost could mean disaster—

There. Something red and white sitting in the darkness. Kafei lit the lamp on the desk, staring incomprehensively at the letter resting against the wooden surface. The quill he’d used left forgotten beside it, discarded once he’d finally managed to put his words onto paper. Dozens of discarded drafts littered the floor, crumpled up and thrown toward the nearby bin—most of them missing and contributing to the mess.

He’d…

Anju’s letter.

But…

He’d…mailed that…

Right?

The letter stared back at him.

Three days.

Three days until his wedding.

He picked up the paper, already creased and folded to fit in the red and white envelope he’d prepared for it. All it needed was Anju’s name, and he could drop it in the post box.

_Tick-tock._

_…oh no…_

Kafei squinted at the clock, just out of the edge of the lamp light. 8:30am.

Damn. Mail collection would be soon. He grabbed for the pen, not even bothering to refill the ink. He scratched out the address, grimacing at the messy, but somehow still legible name and address. That wasn’t like him, but there was no time. He was running late as it was.

Habit had him grabbing his Keaton mask and slipping it on even as he was pushing out the door. He wanted to be in and out before the postman arrived. The door swung shut behind him as he dashed out, jogging across the bridge. Something shimmered out of the corner of his eye—

_…help me…please_

\--but he couldn’t stop. Not yet. Anju needed to get this letter. She needed to—if she left— _will the moon really fall?—_ he wouldn’t be able to deliver the mask to her.

_Just wait for me._

Kafei slowed, frowning.

 _Why_ was he thinking about the moon?

_The moon._

_The stone beneath him began to shake, knocking his head against the wall and shocking him awake. The room was dark, swimming. Sakon was laughing somewhere in the background. Kafei grunted, twisting his wrists against the rope, wincing against the burns that already marked his wrists._

_…the shaking wasn’t **stopping.**_

_“Don’t you see little boy?! It’s too late!”_

_Red light poured through the window._

Kafei tripped, the red world dissolving into a chaos of spinning and stairs, and stone and pain. He collapsed into a boneless pile of limbs at the bottom of the stairs, blinking up at the scowling face of the moon. That…

That…was wrong.

The world swam around him. A terrier was yapping in his ear. Kafei was transfixed by the moon’s eyes. He…

_Glowing an angry yellow, the only color in a world of red. The world wouldn’t stop shaking, the earsplitting sound of rock splitting and shattering eclipsing even the sound of Sakon’s mad laughter._

“Are you okay, kid?” A shadow blocked his vision. One of the construction workers peering down at him. “You should be careful running around like that.”

_Help me—please!_

Kafei didn’t remember his excuses. His focus narrowing on the frown that spread across the big man’s face, and then naked shock as, “Wait—aren’t you the mayor’s—”

His fragile focus shattered under a sudden wave of panic—Kafei bolted.

x-x-x

“Wh-where did you get this?” Anju stared down at the letter in the construction worker’s hand, hesitantly taking the red and white envelope into her own. The Inn had barely opened. It was too early for the mail. And…the writing…

Messy. Rushed. Quite unlike the fanciful penmanship she knew he favored, but… unmistakable.

_Kafei._

“South Clock Town, Ma’am.” The worker scratched at his head, “A boy tripped and fell down the laundry pool stairs. He dropped that when he ran off.”

Anju traced the ink of her name, narrowing her eyes as some flaked off on her finger. Had it not dried properly? She looked back up at him, “And what about Kafei? Did you see him?”

“Well…” He glanced away, uncomfortably, “Truth is, ma’am… the boy was alone. I thought—but it was impossible. Your fiancé probably asked him to deliver it. I thought about chasing after him, but I got an earful from the foreman as it was.”

“No, no…you’ve done enough. Thank you.”

He left her then, with a nod of his head and a nervous smile.

The Inn was silent. Anju slipped her nail under the envelope flap, breaking the seal.

_Kafei…where are you?_

He wouldn’t tell her. She knew it before she’d unfolded the missive and taken in the words. If he was willing to tell her, he wouldn’t have sent a letter.

_Please wait for me._

Wait? They were to be married on the morn of the festival. An auspicious day, her Grandmother had declared—good blessings for a long and happy marriage. Just a little over three days from now. Why would he need to ask her to wait?

Only…she did know why, didn’t she?

It was the same reason the town was so empty, despite their annual festival approaching. It was why her mother had convened with the leader of the Gorman Bros. Troop before the inn had opened this morning, telling them of their plan to make a quick trip to see Creamia at the ranch, the eve before the festival.

If she went to the ranch…would he even know where to find her?

The moon wouldn’t fall. It couldn’t. It was just an illusion. It had to be.

Because if it fell…she had the feeling she might never see Kafei again.


	5. Chapter 5

## Chapter 5

 

_Thump._

_Thump._

His heart was pounding in his ears.

Stupid.

_Stupid._

_“Aren’t you the mayor’s—”_

Wasn’t that why he wore a mask? Wasn’t that why he avoided the town until after dark? In the darkness, purple hair wasn’t so distinct. Even a cursory resemblance could be bad—could—

_“Do you think I care who you are?”_

Hands squeezed tight over his ears, trying to block out the voice. Just a nightmare. Just a _nightmare._

_“You **look** like the mayor’s son. That’s all they’ll see when I ransom you.”_

_Damnit go away!_

It wasn’t happening. The grinning man. He had to _find_ the grinning man. Not run away from some figment of his imagination.

“Hey, kid, you okay?”

Kafei huddled into a tighter ball, back pressing against stone as he tried to make himself smaller. It wasn’t the construction worker. The voice was too high pitched for that. A kid. Were there even any kids left in town? Kafei couldn’t remember. He was a ghost haunting the empty husk of a city. Faces he knew should be smiling in anticipation of the festival were nowhere to be seen, either evacuated or hidden behind a nagging mask of worry and fear.

_Steel flashed in the night, snagging on blue and white cloth. The grinning thief flinched and dropped the pack, cutting his losses and sprinting toward the gate._

A small weight landed on his shoulder. Kafei flinched, head jerking up, near bashing it into the structure he had ducked behind. The morning sun didn’t help his swimming head.

“Hey, hey, calm down.” A little boy stood in front of him, hands up and palms outward, non threatening. Kafei zeroed in on the boy’s red bandana. Familiar. But…shouldn’t it be a different color? “Are you here for the festival? I’m Jim! From the Bombers. It’s our mission to help people—and you look like you need some help. So, what happened?”

The Bombers…

Kafei just stared at him. Blinking. And then found himself laughing, stubbornly rubbing any betraying wetness from his eyes. Of course the Bombers stayed. Clock Town wouldn’t be clock town without those silly blue and white uniforms. Jim’s red bandana would declare him the leader of the ragtag little bunch.

“Great! That’s a smile!” The boy said triumphantly, rubbing his nose with a pleased smirk, “That’s better. If you’re new to town you wouldn’t know, but that’s our mission! Solving problems and spreading smiles! Although I guess I didn’t realize solve anything…” With that realization the boy’s shoulder’s slumped a little, his confident voice dropping into a momentary sulk, “What had you so upset tho? Maybe I could help with that!”

“I…lost something.” Kafei said slowly, wondering exactly what he should say as the boy whipped out a yellow bound notebook to jot down notes. “My—a mask.” Kafei turned his face away out of habit—free of the comforting wooden protection. No wonder the construction worker had recognized him. Had it come off in the fall?

The fall…

“ _Don’t you see it’s too late!?”_

This was the second mask he’d lost. One to that man. One to his ghost.

Goddess damn it why wouldn’t that nightmare just leave him _be?!_

His fists clenched around the tall grass, the leaves quivering oddly as they snapped under his tightening grip. A sudden gust of wind tugged at his hair, laughing in his ear and sending the broken leaves whirling in the air. Something about the gently dancing grass steadied him, helping to shore up the bleeding cracks and muting the thief’s mad laughter.

He answered Jim’s questions as best he could. It didn’t amount to much. He’d lost it in South Clock Town. The boy seemed satisfied with it, scribbling something in his notebook.

“Don’cha worry, kid. The Bombers will find it for you!” Jim grinned. Kafei assumed it was supposed to be a reassuring one. “I’ll go share the mission with the others! You stay right here!”

And then he was gone, clutching that yellow notebook like it was a life-line, shouting at another blue-bandana’d boy loitering near the entrance to east clock town. He jumped. Jim gestured sharply. At the book, and the boy…

And then they both split. Jim for South Clock Town, the other bomber heading for East. Presumably to round up the others.

Once they were gone, Kafei ducked his head and left.

Not that he could go far. Without something to mask his features he definitely couldn’t go back into South Clock Town during this time of day. Or even East Clock Town.

And _definitely_ not West.

North was really his only option until the sunset, but it itched at him to stay out into the open. So he headed for the one place people didn’t go unless when they wanted solitude.

The Fairy Fountain.

He didn’t go far in, crouching in the shaded passageway within sight of the entrance. He could still see the city’s walls through the opening, with the crisp blue morning sky shining brightly above it. So he’d be able to see when dusk fell. Great. What was he supposed to do until then?

Kafei put his back to the cool stone, cradling his head in his hands. No one would find him here. Just as no one had been around to see an imp tear his future apart.

_Something was wrong. The world was too big. Spinning. The imp was laughing. The eyes of that eerie mask glowing in the night. Not just by the light of the moon but honest to goddess **glowing.**_

How he wished that had just been a drunken dream, like he’d assumed at first. But then he’d tried to take a step and ended up tangled in his own clothes.

 _‘My what a nice mask you have there’_ A grinning face leaning over him, this one old and familiar. Like a worn pair of shoes.

Kafei shook his head, banishing it. At least this was memory, and not that weird fever dream.

_…elp me…_

A chime in the silence.

Kafei stiffened. Eyes closed, and he could see it.

Hundreds of lights flitted and swirled in the center of a large fountain. They radiated warmth and sound, tiny sparks of magic and life, whispers and voices and chimes from somewhere far far away.

He banished them, wrapping his arms around too skinny knees and pulling them to his chest. He only had to wait. Had to make it through the day.

… _help me…_

He buried his head in his arms. A feeble defense against the hundreds of tiny voices, all crying out in pain.

He didn’t even make it to nightfall.

 


	6. Chapter 6

At least the dream didn’t end in fire, this time.

Kafei woke with a start. The ceiling was dim, half remembered notes vanishing into the early morning. Fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, feeling the pulse of his heart beneath it. He—hadn’t he just been in the Great Fairy’s Grotto? Watching the day slink closer to night?

The wooden clock ticked, the ring around the edge clicking into the next notch with a heavy thud. A familiar sound, one that resonated in his bones. Time. Time always move forward, didn’t it?

His arms were trembling as he pushed himself upright, swinging his too small legs over the side of the small cot. His eyes instinctively sought out the small packet of red and white sitting on the desk. Again.

Again.

Groping fingers settled into the cool wood, rough where the paint was worn just enough to threaten peeling. The familiar touch calmed his racing heart, even as Kafei hooked his thumb around the lip of the mask and dragged it toward him, off the small nightstand and into his hands.

It was a dim, a desaturated blob of black and greys and even lighter greys in the dim light of the curiosity shop’s backroom, but his searching thumb traced every familiar curve. The dark streaks of the keaton’s laughing eyes stared up at him, as if it held all the secrets in the world.

“I’m...going mad...aren’t I?” His voice cracked, entranced by the mask he’d lost.

First a broken body. Now a broken mind as well?

If he turned his head, he’d see the letter he’d sent.

The calendar with the circled days.

Three days until the wedding.

Three days until--

_ Tick. _

_ Tick. _

_ Tick. _

Unwavering. 

Unstoppable.

_ “...help me.” _

He could still hear it. The cry from a lost fairy, desperately seeking someone to bring it home.

Another, chorus of voices, crying out for help. Anyone who would listen.

_ Hear my plea! _

Kafei tried to block out the sound. Desperately. But it echoed in his bones. Sinking beneath his skin, and humming along to an energy that shouldn’t exist.

None of this was right.

Nothing was.

And if he went outside, he’d see the moon.

_ Red. Shaking. A thief’s mad laughter as the world ended. _

x-x-x

A boy in green stepped out of the clock tower. Pausing to overlook a scene he’d seen many times before.

Something wasn’t right.

Something was missing.

“ _ What are you doing?”  _ The fairy buzzed at him. Bobbing next to his head, shaking her wings in agitation. “ _ We gotta hurry! The whole point in coming back was to give us the most time in the blasted Ice Tower. You don’t want to have to redo the entire thing again, would you?” _

She was right. As usual. They'd taken until nearly nightfall to deal with the goron village, and he'd been wary to tackle the temple without a fresh start.

It was probably just his imagination. Nothing ever changed. He'd seen enough to realize that. He brought the ocarina to his lips, quietly playing the notes to a familiar song.

And then...vanished. The townsfolk didn’t seem to notice a thing. Not the missing boy. Not the sound. Not the feathers that gently drifted on the wind. Just a tick, tick, tick from high above, the pulse of this world beating along to a chorus of hammers and the footsteps of dozens of small, inconsequential lives moving along their paths.

Except...

A postman checked a mailbox. Only to find it empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to pick this back up again. Chapter length with vary. Sometimes short ones have the most impact.


End file.
